Chapter 76: Chapter 74: Public Bounty: The Government Is Calling You to Hunt Wild Boars

The moment Li Xiang mentioned it in his fan group, his followers flooded him with product recommendations.

One fan even specialized in selling such equipment. The only problem was that they were too far away, and with the current logistical issues, delivery was impossible.

However, the same model should be available in the county town near Li Xiang’s home.

The fan recommended a professional camera helmet designed for solo operators. It came equipped with shock absorption and stabilization, a high-definition lens, and a lightweight yet sturdy carbon-fiber shell resistant to wear and scratches. It also offered substantial head protection, with a market price of around 12,000.

In any case, Li Xiang had money now and could afford it.

The next morning, just as the rooster with the red crest and colorful feathers let out its first crow, Li Xiang got up and headed out.

He was afraid of being seen if he left any later.

Er Huang tried to follow, but Li Xiang stopped him. He told the dog to stay and guard the house. Now that he was the only dog at home, the heavy responsibility of security fell entirely on his shoulders.

Li Xiang avoided the main roads, sticking to secluded paths. He activated his Divine Movement Technique, crossing the snow without leaving a trace and traversing mountains as if they were level ground.

Naturally, he couldn’t maintain the same explosive, short-burst speed of 120 over a long distance. He could only sustain his Extreme Speed of over thirty meters per second for five or six minutes before he’d be gasping for breath with his heart rate redlining. However, he could easily maintain a steady pace of 50 or 60 for an hour or two.

If he wanted to run two hundred kilometers in one go, he’d have to slow down even more, to around a speed of 20 or 30. At that pace, his face wouldn’t flush and his heart rate would stay normal. Any faster and he’d need to take breaks.

He zipped through the snow, feeling incredibly excited. ’I should enter a full or half-marathon sometime,’ he mused, ’one with a big cash prize. It’d be a breeze to win first place. How awesome would that be?’

’Maybe I could even livestream while I run,’ he thought. ’I’d rake in even more views and donations.’

Sure enough, they were for sale in the county town. After finding a decent-sized shop, Li Xiang haggled for a bit and ended up getting it for 11,000. He tried it out on the spot for a few minutes and found it was indeed excellent.

He took the same secluded paths on the way back. He’d floor it when no one was around, then slow down to just a bit faster than a normal person’s pace whenever he spotted someone in the distance. Alternating between fast and slow, the return trip didn’t take much longer than his journey there.

As for his purchase, since it wasn’t very big, he naturally kept it in his Otherworldly Warehouse the entire time.

To Li Xiang’s surprise, while he was eating back at home, a news alert popped up on his phone that made him freeze.

"What a coincidence."

The news was posted by an official account, so its credibility was unquestionable. These days, the internet was flooded with all sorts of fake news, which was often frustrating. Apart from official announcements, most of it was just sensational nonsense fabricated for clicks.

For instance, when Li Xiang had predicted the weather, some people accused him of fearmongering for views and he’d even received a warning from a government department. Of course, no one was bothering him about it anymore.

The authorities hadn’t even sent anyone to ask how his prediction had been so accurate.

In truth, Li Xiang could guess what some of them were thinking. ’If they admit I was right, doesn’t that mean they were completely wrong? How could they ever let that happen?’ It made sense that they just let the matter drop.

The backstabbing and office politics of the corporate world couldn’t even hold a candle to the maneuverings of officialdom.

The news was actually a bounty notice issued by the provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau. Its title was: "Public Notice Regarding the Selection of Hunting and Harmless Disposal Teams for the 2024 Sichuan Province Wild Boar Comprehensive Control Project, Funded by the Central Government."

The official text was a bit long-winded and cited numerous laws and regulations, but the gist of it was this:

Due to the heavy snow blanketing the mountains, wild boars were running out of food, which had led to multiple incidents of them attacking people across the province.

Furthermore, the wild boar population in Sichuan Province was enormous. According to incomplete statistics from the provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, there were at least 800,000 boars. Therefore, the wild boar was being temporarily removed from its protected status. A bounty was being issued, allowing civilians to form teams to hunt wild boars for a generous reward.

Live wild boars would be bought back at 20 yuan per jin, and dead ones at 10 yuan per jin. Anyone who didn’t want to turn them in for the buyback could "dispose of them harmlessly" on their own.

The hunt was backed by a government budget, so the bounty was limited to a provincial total of ten thousand boars.

A "Bounty Hunter Team" was required to have three or more members and possess comprehensive, modern equipment. This included drones, infrared cameras, at least three traditional Hunting Dogs, and protective gear to ensure their safety.

Additionally, every Bounty Hunter had to register. This required obtaining a certificate of no criminal record from the local police station, then photographing or scanning it and uploading it to the registration website. Only after approval would they be qualified to hunt and claim rewards.

The hunting license would only be valid for three months. In other words, once winter was over, private hunting would once again be prohibited. After all, if they were hunted to extinction, they’d just become a protected species again.

Furthermore, the bounty notice explicitly stated: The use of poison to kill wild boars is forbidden! Carrying high-lethality weapons such as powerful crossbows and firearms is prohibited! Violators will be severely punished!

This was only to be expected. Poison, powerful crossbows, and firearms were all controlled items. If an exception were made for this "nationwide boar hunt," the consequences would be unimaginable.

The people of China were a feisty bunch. If poison, powerful crossbows, and firearms were allowed to circulate among the public, all sorts of violent crimes would likely skyrocket.

Take, for example, the young man who had recently bought a new SU7. He wanted to share his excitement, but he picked the wrong crowd. He got mocked by a group of delinquent bikers, and tragedy struck. He ended up stabbing one of them, plowing through more than a dozen of their motorcycles, and finally crashing into their shop, ramming it several more times for good measure.

The truth is, a lot of Chinese people have that warrior gene; they’re a classic fighting nation. Russia couldn’t even hold a candle to them.

Li Xiang had originally planned to set out today, but this bounty notice meant he had to rethink his preparations.

’At the very least,’ he thought, ’I’ll have to buy a drone and an infrared camera to meet the requirements. I’ll also need to arrange for some Hunting Dogs, find people to form a team, and, most importantly, get that certificate and obtain the hunting license.’

’This is actually great,’ he thought. ’Not only can I clear out the mountain, but I can also earn a reward for it. What’s not to like?’

As for teammates, the best candidate was Jiang Cai’Er’s father, Jiang Jianguo. He was still relatively young, in his forties, and a blacksmith to boot, so he was plenty strong. Plus, their families were on good terms, so he was trustworthy.

For the third person, he had a few candidates in mind, all of them village elders. But they were all getting on in years; the youngest was fifty-five. He wasn’t sure if any of them would be willing.

After all, venturing into the mountains in this heavy snow was arduous work.

’As for the Hunting Dogs, there are plenty of dogs in the village, so I can just pick a few,’ he mused. ’Besides, as long as I submit photos of the dogs for registration, who’s going to care if I actually bring them with me?’

Li Xiang would, of course, cover the cost of the equipment.

He went and told Jiang Jianguo about it, and Jiang Jianguo was very interested. Jiang Cai’Er was home taking online classes that day. She was delighted to hear Li Xiang was visiting, but she was in the middle of a lesson in her bedroom with the teacher watching, so she couldn’t step away.